Realize You, Want You, Kiss You
by Ione-Sama
Summary: Sometimes, you need a stiff whack on the head and a bit of candor to realize what's been right in front of you all along. The end result? Only passion and desire will tell. Series of NaruxHina one-shots based on their first kiss and all those that come after! Takes place in Naruto: Shippuden(Post 3-year time skip)and rated T but may go up to M. COMPLETE! R&R please!
1. Realize You

_A/N: I'm back! I'm so so sorry, I know I haven't been updating any of my other stories and I'm sorry, I've been really busy and plus, writer's block has been a bitch! I know some of you are hating me right now…_

 _This is a little tid bit that's been floating around in my head; it's my first Naruto fic but I think ya'll are gonna like this one! I for one, am a bit bored of seeing Hinata always so shy and timid all the time and the fainting?! Please! It's getting ridiculous! So this little bit of fiction is taking on a new twist! Hinata will still be mostly cannon but she definitely won't be stuttering or fumbling all over herself, I mean Naruto isn't the only one who's changed over the three years he's been off training with Master Jaraiya, com'on! The people he left behind deserve some love too! This will be a series of Naru-Hina one-shots and some may be interconnected. Not sure how far I'll be going with this but we'll just see where the inspiration takes me._

 _Enough of my prattling—on to new heights of literary adventure!_

" _Naruto Uzumaki is back!" The tall, blonde shinobi shouted from the rooftops._

 _It was hard not to notice; the whole town was abuzz with news of the young ninja's return and not even an hour had passed!_

 _It didn't take too long for the news to reach his friends' ears either; Sakura was the first to the gate and to say she was surprised by the dramatic change in her teammate, would be a drastic understatement._

 _He was taller—much taller than she thought he'd be, not to mention his adolescent body was much more built and filled out since she last saw him. His shoulders were so broad, she had to blink several times just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating!_

" _Hey Sakura! Wow! Long time no see!"_

 _There was that wide blinding grin of his though—at least somethings never changed._

 _Still, she couldn't help the sudden rush of color to her cheeks as she observed Naruto._

… _He'd really grown up after all._

 _It wasn't too long before Kakashi and the rest of them caught up and even then, there were still nearly half of the group missing! Might guy's team was off on a mission and probably wouldn't be back until sometime the following day and as for Kiba and Shino, they'd been gone for a week now; no one knew exactly when they'd show up._

 _ **At the Hokage's office…**_

" _Naruto?! It IS you!"_

 _Naruto's eyes widened when he turned towards the voice._

 _"S-Shikamaru?!"_

" _Holy cow, you're really back aren't you!"_

 _"Yeah, just now! I can't believe it's you!"_

 _Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "You think you're surprised, huh?"_

 _Looking beyond Shikamaru, Naruto spotted Temari and after a questioning stare towards his comrade, it was learned that she was the liason from the Sand and consequently, moved back and forth between the two villages quite a bit._

 _"Yeah, I'm her escort…I mean it's a total drag but what can I tell ya, I got orders." Shikamaru shrugged and let out a yawn just as Temari jabbed him in the side with her elbow._

" _As if you have anything better to do. You're nothing but a bum! It's a good thing the Hokage has you doing something or God only knows you'd spend your afternoons just wasting away, staring at those dumb clouds of yours."_

 _Temari let out a giggle which only further aggravated her less-than-willing companion._

 _Shikarmaru let out a defeated sigh. "Damn, these women are always such a pain."_

 _ **At Ichiraku…**_

"So Naruto, you've really grown up, I have to admit I didn't know it was you at first."

Naruto folded an arm behind his head and grinned. "Yeah, I guess I'm a lot taller now, huh Iruka-sensei?"

"Well yeah that's for sure—you definitely hit a crazy growth spurt, I didn't think it was possible; you were always so short and all." He flashed a teasing grin to which Naruto huffed in irritation.

"It's not like I was vertically challenged, jeez! I could still kick ass just fine!"

Another loud slurp of ramen.

"Okay, okay, you know I kid most of the times, com'on—besides, I have to make up for lost time, hm?"

The two men shared a meaningful look, then returned their attention to their meal as they continued to chat about anything and everything that had happened in their lives over the last three years.

"Hey, Naruto—isn't Sakura supposed to be here with you?" Iruka did a quick scan of the crowed outside the ramen stand.

Naruto's vibrant expression fell and he stared at his bowl. "Well if I'd known the meal was gonna be free, I sure as hell would've made sure she was with me…but…"

Iruka smiled sympathetically. "Hey. Don't worry about it, I'm sure she'll be around tomorrow and you can take her then."

Naruto brightened. "Say, the Harvest festival is in three days, isn't it?"

Iruka nodded.

"Alright!" Naruto fist pumped, the brilliant grin returning. "With the festival, everyone will be out celebrating and I should be able to take Sakura-chan out on a date for sure!"

Iruka raised a brow in surprise before smirking evilly. "Ohhh, so it's a date you're wanting, eh? My, my Naruto, you sure do aim high when it comes to the ladies." He tossed his former student a playful wink.

"Well I mean com'on, I've been gone for three years! I've changed so much, there's no way Sakura-chan can't notice me now, believe it!"

"Say uh, Naruto? Just try not to get too ahead of yourself okay? I mean…Sakura isn't the same girl you knew, either—she's changed a lot and well I just don't want you getting into something and getting yourself in trouble. Besides, you know as well as I do how scary Sakura can be when she's angry."

"Oh boy, you're not kidding! I mean have you seen how strong she is now?! Man! I don't think I've ever seen someone annihilate fifty feet of earth and solid rock with just their fist!"

An involuntary shiver shot up Naruto's spine. "Sakura's scary alright—she's not someone I'd wanna have to face in a fight, that's for sure."

Iruka laughed, clapping Naruto on the back. "Smart man!"


	2. Want You

**Three days later, Harvest Festival…**

"You've gotta be kidding me…there's so many booths, where do you start?"

Naruto's lips parted as he stared in awe at the rows and rows of endless booths that lined the village streets.

In all his years, he'd never remembered the festival being this big—but then he'd been gone the last three years…things certainly must have changed.

"Naruto."

"Neji? No way!" Naruto shouldered his way through the crowd until he came face-to-face with his old comrade. Ten-ten was there as well and one look at Naruto had the young Kunoichi blushing madly.

 _Wow…he's so much taller now! Even Neji isn't quite that tall yet I don't think._

She eyed him discreetly from her place beside Neji.

Even his clothes were different; although the orange and black jacket was similar to the blue and orange jumpsuit he'd worn in his younger years, the long sleeved black shirt underneath and the solid black pants, were definitely a new look for him. It made him appear leaner and taller—rather handsome, she had to admit as she once again felt the subtle heat rising to her cheeks.

"Neji, it's been forever, it's so good to see you! Hey Ten-ten!"

"You've changed, Naruto—much for the better, I see." A subtle smile briefly touched Neji's lips.

Naruto blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, well I _have_ been gone for three years—guess I was just a late bloomer."

"So Naruto, have you learned any new Jutsus since you've been away? I heard that Master Jaraiya is one of the legendary Sannin—He must be amazing!"

Naruto grinned at Ten-ten's enthusiasm. "Heck yeah, he's amazing. And I sure as hell learned a lot, I mean I never imagined how much I'd learn in just three years, you know?"

The three young people continued talking, laughing back and forth as they wandered through the crowd, occasionally pausing at a booth every now and then.

There were so many questions they had for each other, there hardly seemed to be enough time to ask them all.

At one point, they found themselves trailing behind a small group of young Kunoichis and when they recognized two of them as Sakura and Ino, Ten-ten hurriedly excused herself and hurried to catch up with the girls.

"Man. I can't believe how much Sakura-chan has changed." Naruto mused aloud to no one in particular.

"Yes, Sakura-san has certainly grown quite strong; I trained with her on a few occasions and I must confess…there were a few brief moments were I feared for my well-being." A slight smirk crossed Neji's face as he admitted this, causing the young blonde beside him to bend over laughing.

Once he'd regained his composure, Naruto rubbed away the tears of laughter with the heel of his hand. "Oh you're not kidding, tell me about it! I mean I've grown up with Sakura on the same team and even then, she was scary—now? She's more like—"

"A deadly force that leaves you terrified?"

Naruto looked over at Neji and nodded emphatically. "You said it, Neji. Man, you should've seen her just the other day when Granny Tsunade had us face off against Kakashi-sensei—I've never seen someone with that kind of insane strength!"

Just then, a flash of red caught Naruto's eye as it fluttered to the ground and halting his steps, he saw glanced down to see a piece of ribbon crumpled on the ground.

His eyes darted up and ahead of him to where Sakura and Ino were walking along with Ten-ten and a slender, dark-haired girl that he didn't recognize.

Noticing her long ebony hair that hung nearly passed her waist, he swept up the ribbon in his hand and jogged to catch up to them.

"Excuse me—uh hey, S-Sakura, Ino—I—"

The two women turned back to Naruto with questioning stares as he finally reached them.

"Hey sorry I—I found this um—I think your friend may have, excuse me, Miss?"

The dark-haired woman still had her back to him but slowly turned when his fingers hesitantly brushed her shoulder.

"Miss, I think you dropped your—"

Pale moonlit orbs clashed with brilliant blue and Naruto's words froze.

"N—Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "No way…Hinata?" He breathed.

Hinata's own eyes mirrored his surprise as her cheeks flushed red.

She looked from Sakura, to Ino, to Neji and then back to Naruto again.

She couldn't believe her eyes—he was back. After all this time, he was finally back and standing less than two feet in front of her.

"Holy cow…Hinata, you—you look so—different!" It was then that some of Naruto's wits returned and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a warm smile.

"I—I can't believe it's you—I mean I—I knew you were coming back but I just—I didn't know it was—I mean I—"

Naruto's smile spread into one of his full on brilliant grins. "Well I just got back three days ago so I'm not really surprised you didn't know; hell, I haven't even seen Kiba and Shino yet! Kakashi-sensei, Sakura and Granny Tsunade are about the only ones so far—well I did see Iruka sensei too—last night, that is—when he took me out for ramen." Naruto's head tilted back thoughtfully. "But yeah, I mean…I really haven't seen much of anybody yet."

Hinata smiled to herself, her cheeks lightly flushed as she stared off into the crowd. "I see…"

"But yeah, I'm back now and boy, it feels great to be home, I tell ya! Nothing's really changed and yet it feels like everything has!" A nostalgic smile touched his lips as he stared off wistfully into the crowd.

"I sure have missed this place—way more than I thought I could."

Ino suddenly pipped up excitedly. "Hey guys, the fireworks are going to start in ten minutes, we better go find good seats! Com'on forehead, Ten-ten, lets go! It's gonna be too late by the time we get there as it is!" Ino didn't wait for a response from her friends as she simply dragged both women away by the hand, calling over her shoulder.

"Hey Hinata, Com'on! You'll have plenty of time to swoon and blush at the guy later, he's not goin' anywhere anytime soon, hurry up!"

Hinata's face turned several shades of red and suddenly, she felt incredibly light-headed.

"I—I-I need to go—e-excuse me!" With that, she turned on her heel and dashed away, without a backward glance.

"H-hey wait, H-Hinata, you forgot your—"

But she was already gone.

Naruto stared blankly at the place she'd been just moments ago and then looked down at his hand. "….Ribbon."

Just then, Shikamaru walked up to him and Neji but Naruto didn't appear to notice.

"Why does she always do that? It's like her face suddenly gets all red and then she can't talk to me or look me in the eye—it's weird."

Shikamaru cocked a brow at Neji who merely shook his head sadly.

"Man, you still don't know?!"

Naruto stared. "Know what?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "And Temari says I'm the idiot—this is such a pain."

# # # #

Naruto wandered dumbly through the crowd. His eyes seemingly focused somewhere faraway while his lips parted in shock.

 **Flashback…**

 _"Man, if you haven't figured it out yet, then you're…way dumber than I thought."_

 _Naruto looked between Neji and Shikamaru in clear confusion. "What? What are you talking about, Shikamaru?"_

 _Shikamaru sighed. "Oh my god, Neji seriously, knock some sense into this guy with that gentle fist technique, will you? I don't think I can take this anymore…"_

" _What?! Oh com'on just tell me what the hell's goin' on already! What is it that I'm supposed to figure out?"_

 _Shikamaru huffed and gave Naruto a stiff whack upside the head._

" _Hey! What the hell, Shikamaru?!" Naruto scowled disdainfully._

 _"That Hinata's in love with you, you idiot."_

 _Naruto's eyes widened to saucers and for the first time in his life, he was at a complete loss for words and his confidence vanished._

 _"And that she's been in love with you since the academy days." Neji added calmly._

 _"Everyone's known about it from the beginning—but Hinata herself, well—she's always been extremely shy and private about it so it really does not surprise me that you never knew, Naruto." Neji continued. "Although…I have to admit, after the first dozen times she fainted in front of you, I had assumed that perhaps you would've caught on at least a little bit."_

" _Yeah, no shit." Shikamaru muttered._

 _Naruto was still frozen and hadn't breathed a word. "You—Hinata was—but that's—that can't be, Hinata—"_

 _"Well whether or not you believe it, doesn't matter, Man; point is, Hinata loving you is a fact and if I were you, I'd quit fucking around before some other guy comes in and sweeps her away; the girl's not gonna wait forever, no matter how devoted she may be, waiting and waiting—eventually just—hurts."_

 _Naruto's eyes darted to Shikamaru's face and his lips parted at the sudden intense, far off look in Shikamaru's eyes. Something told him his friend was speaking from experience and he wondered when Shikamaru had become so intensely wise when it came to women._

 _Just then, a loud boom sounded above their heads and all three men, tilted their heads up towards the night sky._

 _Brilliant colors and formations exploded one right after the other, lighting up the night sky in stunning, brilliant hues of blues, greens, reds and golds._

 _Neji was the next to speak. "Well. The fireworks have started…I best go and find Tenten; she's saving me a seat." He bid his farewells then turned and disappeared into the crowds._

 _Now, all that left was Shikamaru and Naruto._

" _So?" Shikamaru eyed Naruto seriously._

 _"So what?"_

" _Now you know. What the hell are you gonna do about it?"_

 _Naruto's eyes strayed back to the night sky—but his expression was serious and determined. "Honestly? I don't know…I can't believe I've been such a blind fool all these years; it's embarrassing to be honest." With that, a sheepish smile spread across his face and he hung his head in shame._

" _Hey, don't sweat it. We all do it. What matters is not sitting around on your ass, and actually doing something about it."_

 _He clapped Naruto on the back. "Just go with what feels right, Naruto. Anyway, I'm out." And with that, the lazy Shinobi turned on his heel and slowly vanished into the crowd with a wave over his shoulder. "Go get her, Man."_

 _ **End Flashback…**_

It wasn't long before Naruto found himself at the academy, looking up towards the rooftop where he knew several of his friends and peers were settled in, watching the fireworks. He paced back and forth for some time, mulling over Shikamaru's words—at some point, he would pause his steps, look up towards the sky in thought and then shake his head and run frustrated hands through his unruly blonde hair.

Just what in the hell was he supposed to do now? Walk up to Hinata and be like 'hey Hinata, so I heard that you're in love with me, sorry for missing the hints but you know, better late than never, right?'

…yeah. Right.

Naruto let out a pained groan and slumped to the ground

Just then, there was a clear bell of laughter drifting down from above him and Naruto's head snapped to attention.

He could barely make out silhouettes in the growing darkness and only a few scant features were visible when a flash of light streaked across the sky—but it was enough. Enough for his sharp eyes to catch a shimmer of dark blue in ebony hair.

One quick leap and Naruto landed smoothly on the roof, his eyes scanning the little groups of spectators huddled together until his gaze fell on the single dark-haired woman, seated near the edge of a group of Kunoichis.

Hinata…

In his head, Naruto hadn't the faintest clue what to do next…but somehow, his heart must have known because his feet were already carrying him forward.

The closer he got, the faster his heart raced and he wiped sweaty palms down the front of his pants more than twice.

When he was within arms' reach, he stopped and just stared down at her. Her back was to him but every now and then, he caught glimpses of her profile when her head tilted back to catch sight of the fireworks.

Her lavender eyes caught every color in the sky, mirroring them in the most captivating hues swirling in the pearl depths…it was breath-taking.

He blinked, the realization that Hinata was stunning, hit him with the force of a Rasengan and he gasped.

"Naruto?" It was Sakura's voice that pulled him back to the present but his eyes barely glanced her over before once again settling on the dark-haired beauty barely a foot away.

"Uh, Naruto if you're looking for the boys, I think they're—"

Naruto ignored her, took a step forward and laid a hand on Hinata's shoulder.

She turned, pearl orbs widening at discovering him there.

"O-oh, Naruto-kun I didn't—"

"Hinata."

A sharp breath escaped her; the way he spoke her name was different than before—it was earnest and deliberate, as if he needed to speak every syllable with careful precision.

His eyes…they were different too. The brilliant blue was still present but the shade of them had deepened, nearly reaching cobalt as he stared intensely into her eyes, making her heart race and her breath quicken.

"Hinata." He spoke again but this time, he bent low, nearly brushing the shell of her ear with his lips and whispered, "Come with me."

A bright red stained across her cheeks and nose but she nodded wordlessly, taking his offered hand and stood to her feet.

She had no time to excuse herself from her friends however when Naruto gripped her hand a little tighter and pulled her with him as he leapt gracefully from the roof.

Hinata let out a gasp of surprise but quickly recovered and gained her footing as she and Naruto leapt from roof to roof, heading towards the center of town.

He hadn't said anything else to her as they continued on and she cast careful glances at him from time to time, always met with the same intense, determined expression and his eyes fixed straight ahead.

They continued on for some time until Hinata caught sight of a familiar building in the distance.

She recognized it as Naruto's apartment and when they'd reached the tiled roof, Naruto came to an abrupt halt.

She was about to speak when Suddenly, Naruto pulled her forward, took hold of both her wrists and pushed her down with her back against the roof.

She was surprised and squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden force of being pulled towards him but when she felt a cool, hard surface pressing into her back, her eyes opened—and she stared in shock.

There was Naruto, hovering over her, his knees set on either side of her with her hands pinned beneath his on either side of her head.

He said nothing, only stared down at her, the intensity in his eyes never fading.

Hinata's cheeks blazed—the proximity of his body was almost too much, she could feel the heat from his body drifting above hers and cloaking her senses in a heady haze that left her eyes half-lidded and her lips parted.

"N-Naruto…" She managed to get his name out just before the heat in his stare became too much and she closed her eyes.

"I—what—why are you looking at me like that?"

He said nothing.

"Naruto—"She squirmed, growing more anxious at his prolonged silence.

Naruto's hold on her tightened, causing the young heiress' eyes to snap open and collide with his.

It was then, that Naruto's lips parted and in the deepest, most hushed tone, he spoke. "You—are in love with me."

Those were the last words in the world Hinata ever expected and she gasped in complete disbelief.

"You are in love with me—Hinata-chan."

"W-what?!" it was a terrified whisper, barely audible but Naruto caught it and his lips curved into a smirk at the shock evident in her eyes.

"I don't think I need to—repeat it." He breathed, still holding her captive beneath him, reveling in the softness of her wrists trapped in his fingers.

"B-but I—I don't—I never told—"

Something about the tremor in her voice and the trembling in her body, set his body on fire and the burgeoning question of 'what do I do' was suddenly answered.

Swooping in, he captured her lips in a kiss.

There was muffled gasp as Hinata's eyes widened to saucers and her body stiffened.

He made no immediate effort to deepen the kiss but he kept his lips firmly sealed over hers until he heard a shuddering sigh and felt her hand suddenly fall slack in his grasp.

It was all the permission he needed.

Lowering his body until it hovered mere inches above hers, he released one of her hands and curled his fingers into the dark tresses splayed against the floor. Bearing most of his weight on his elbows, he experimentally pressed his body against hers and smirked when a tiny moan escaped her lips.

He pulled back, wanting to look at her face and he was rewarded with lust filled eyes and desire etched in her features.

"N-Naruto, I don't understand—w-why are you—"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"W-what?"

"About how you felt. Why. Didn't. You. Tell me?"

Blushing with embarrassment and shame, she turned her face away, catching her bottom lip between her teeth. "I—I guess I just—c-couldn't. Not back then. I mean I—I was so self-conscious and timid and besides…"

She hesitated, feeling greater embarrassment at what she was about to admit. "I knew you liked Sakura-san—how on earth was I supposed to compete with that?"

The hushed resignation in her voice, pained him. Clearly there was still a part of her that believed his heart belonged to Sakura and that pained him even more because it couldn't have been further from the truth!

"Hinata…look at me."

She looked up at him hesitantly.

"It's true—I did have—feelings for her."

Oh she couldn't bear to hear the rest of it, not now and she pushed against him as she sat up slowly, her expression resolute. "I know. I've always known that she…that's why I never told you. But I guess…I guess the secret's out now; I'm—I'm s-sorry—for making you feel obligated."

She turned away from him and moved to stand to her feet.

"Wha—Hinata, wait!" His hand shot out, fingers curling around her wrist as he looked questioningly into her eyes.

"What are you—where are you going?"

She stood still for a moment, gazing down at him with a deep sadness in her eyes and a half-hearted smile. "It's alright, N-Naruto-kun. Whatever I may feel about you, you don't have to—there's no need for you to soothe my feelings. I'm not the same timid girl anymore, I'm a kunoichi and I can and will respect your feelings."

Naruto shook his head, complete confusion written on his countenance. "I don't—I don't get it so, that's it? You're just walkin' away? Hinata, you're not understanding what I'm trying to say."

Hinata grimaced painfully. "Please, Naruto-kun. There's no need for an explanation; I—I know you came to me just to ease my pain and perhaps let me down painlessly as possible but there is no need for that, I am capable of handling my own personal issues alone."

She wasn't even letting him finish; she was convinced that his kiss had been nothing more than a way to appease her feelings while offering his rejection as painlessly as possible—the hell?!

The fact she'd conjured up this absurd idea, only served to aggravate him and his determination doubled.

"Hinata, just stop!" Standing to his feet, he never relinquished her hand and stared her straight in the eyes, his resolve never wavering.

"You won't even let me finish, I'm trying to tell you something, damn it and it's NOT what you think it is at all!"

"But I—I thought—"

He held up a hand in silence. "Just—you think because I had a think for Sakura back in the day, it means something now and while it IS true that I felt something for her back then, that was—three fucking years ago! I've been gone a long time, Hinata and a hell of a lot has changed since then—I've changed! Do you honestly think that the way I feel _now_ is the same way I felt _then?"_

Hinata could only stare at him, eyes wide and lips parted as her mind worked overtime to process his words.

She thought she knew…

She'd been so certain of everything up till now…now it was all…all jumbled, backwards and upside down; she couldn't make sense of any of it!

"I—I-well I—"

Naruto let out a breath in disbelief. "You actually _did_ think that—didn't you."

"Naruto-kun, I—"

In a split second, Naruto pulled her into his arms, his eyes blazing with passion as he whispered huskily against her lips. "You stupid, silly woman, I want _you."_ And his lips were devouring hers with more hunger and passion than Hinata ever thought humanly possible.

His taste was electrifying—like Ramen and earth and fire all rolled into one, it made her heady and dizzy and she desperately craved more of it.

Clinging to the collar of his jacket, she yanked him more firmly against her and responded to his kiss with eager, trembling lips.

She felt him smirk against her mouth and it turned her legs to jelly. How he still possessed such a power over her after all this time, she couldn't fathom but it was there and more crippling than ever before. Every nerve ending in her body tingled with such intensity, she felt numb—yet when his hands slid down her sides and his fingers dipped beneath the fabric at her waist, the numbness was scorched into oblivion by fiery heat licking across the surface of her skin.

She gasped at the intense sensation, milky white orbs shooting wide open when Naruto's teeth tugged at her lower lip, deepening the kiss and causing poignant lust to bubble in the pit of her belly.

"M-mmm N-Na-ruto—I-I—"

"Please," He pleaded before dragging his lips tantalizingly along her jawline to the start of her slender throat.

"Don't tell me to stop, Hina—please don't."

Hinata's eyes fluttered closed at the way he spoke his pet name for her and she sighed in utter ecstasy when his lips found the dip of sensitive flesh where her neck and shoulder met.

He pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss there, eliciting a delighted shudder from her before his fingers pulled the fabric of her grey tunic and fishnet undergarment, off her shoulder, leaving a trail of slow, sensual kisses in his wake.

Hinata shivered, unsure if it was caused by the crisp night air or Naruto's hot mouth on her bare shoulder. Either way, she relished the euphoric feeling and let her head fall to the side to give him more access.

Naruto's lips now traced over her collar bone, just before landing at the apex of her throat where his mouth stilled.

His eyes scaled the length of her delicate neck, all the way to her face which was now twisted into an expression of painful ecstasy.

"N-Naruto why—why are you—stopping?"

Caging her body in his arms, he sunk to the floor on his knees, pulling her with him so she straddled his lap.

Hinata's eyes flashed open when she felt Naruto's warm, solid body beneath hers and for a moment, she lost her previous boldness and flushed a brilliant red.

He watched her closely, gauging her reaction; he could tell from the way her eyes avoided him that she was hesitant and more than a little embarrassed.

Cupping her chin, he tilted her head down so she met his eyes. "Hey." He spoke softly but firmly and her eyes finally drifted to settle on his.

There was a catch of breath as she looked into his eyes—they were so blue—so breathtakingly beautiful, she could lose herself in their depths.

Catching the awed look in her eyes, he smiled and pulled her closer, nuzzling his face into her neck. "Come here." He breathed, before dragging his lips across her jawline and along her cheekbone until he came the soft spot between her eyes. He pressed a warm, affectionate kiss there and then his mouth traveled downwards where he left another sweet kiss on the tip of her nose.

Hinata lightly crinkled her nose in a sweet smile that had his heart soaring and falling all at once.

Running his fingers through her hair, his face turned serious once more. "Now do you get it?"

Hinata's cheeks reddened but she nodded.

He still sensed a sliver of doubt hanging between them and he beckoned her to open up to him.

"It's just—I still don't know how you—found out."

A sheepish smile spread across his face just then and he rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, nervously. "Well…truth be told, Shikamaru kinda—well knocked some sense into me. Literally. And then he chewed me out for being such a blind idiot and Neji told me it'd been there in front of me the whole time and that I should've seen it."

Hinata let out a groan, hiding her face in her hands. "Oh that idiot cousin of mine! If he would just keep his mouth shut, then—"

Her mini rant was cut off by Naruto's lips pressing firmly against hers and she let out a squeak of surprise before melting against him again.

Once satisfied, Naruto pulled back, looking straight into her eyes. "No. I'm so glad he said something; Shikamaru too—otherwise I-I probably would've gone on being the blind fool that I've been."

"It's—it's okay, you don't have to—"

"Hina. You're really very sweet but—you need to stop making excuses for me. I was an idiot. A stupid, dense, arrogant, stupid idiot. I was so blind and I'm so sorry—I really wish I'd known that…I would give anything to have known then, what you felt." He hung his head, the full wait of his carelessness settling on him like a heavy, suffocating weight.

"I don't even deserve you, with how much of an ass I've been…I'd understand if it's—i-if it's too late."

At this, Hinata's eyes widened and then steeled with a fiery determination.

Naruto's head snapped up in shock when he felt two small hands aggressively cradle his face and he gasped in surprise when he saw the fire in Hinata's eyes. Pulling his face to hers, she crashed her mouth on his, attacking his lips with all the aggressiveness and fire, he'd ever felt from her.

It knocked the air out of him and for a moment, he was completely frozen in her fierce embrace.

But when her tongue suddenly flicked out to taste the seam of his mouth, he was ripped from his stupor and his mouth responded to hers with equal fervor.

Parting his lips, he gave her entrance and a lust-filled moan escaped him when her tongue tangled with his.

He felt the fire in his stomach burning hotter and before long, his whole body was engulfed in an inferno that threatened to sear his mind of all reason.

Pushing her to the floor once again, he pinned her body beneath his, grinding his hips into hers as their tongues fought for dominance.

The friction of his body against hers, had Hinata nearly going delirious with pleasure and her hips vigorously undulated in response.

"Uhhn…H-Hina…" he moaned into her mouth, nearly going mad at the delicious friction of her body moving against his.

"N-Naruto—I—p-please!" The plea tore from her lips in a mix of anxiety and desperation.

"Tell me." He demanded between hasty kisses and hungry caresses along the curves of her body.

"Tell me—Hinata. Tell me…what you want."

A whimper escaped her lips, back arching as she pressed her body into his, not getting close enough.

Gripping her hips in both hands, he held her firmly in place before pulling back just enough to meet her eyes.

His gaze was steely blue and blazing with a fire that both thrilled and paralyzed her.

She could see what he wanted—she could see it as plain as day and her body responded as an arrow of overwhelming pleasure and inexplicable excitement shot through her.

"Naruto." She breathed, one hand sliding up his muscled arm and coming to rest lovingly against his lightly whiskered cheek.

"Tell me, Hinata. Tell me what you want and I promise you, it's yours—I swear it on my life."

Hinata stared at him for a long moment, completely in awe that this incredible, brave, strong and loyal boy—no—that this _man_ was before her now, swearing on his life to fulfill her heart's desire, whatever it may be.

Here it was, the moment of truth—the point of no return and it was now or never.

She closed her eyes one last time and took a deep, calming breath.

Then her moonlit orbs snapped open and pierced into his, ablaze with passion and desire.

" _I want you, Naruto."_ Her voice resounded with conviction and ardor.

Naruto's heart soared and for the first time in his life, he felt tears of inexplicable joy pressing at the corners of his eyes.

Gazing down at her, his mouth widened into the most brilliant of smiles.

"Then…I am _yours…forever!"_ He uttered amorously, and his mouth devoured hers.


	3. Kiss You

_Here's my third and final installment to my NaruHina three-shot drabble. Hope you all love it! Sorry for the delay but writers' block has been a bitch! Lol! Now this is the LAST INSTALLMENT OF THIS STORY. It's 35 pages long and omg it was a terror cranking this out! I felt so lost and disorganized through it all so I apologize if some of the plot seems a bit scattered but I've realized that you all have really been more patient with me than I probably deserve and so I have decided it's time to go through each one of my writing projects, one by one, and just finish them! A lot of you have been waiting for updates on some of my other stories, for quite some time and I'm determined to reward you! So. Consider this the start! XOXO!_

Hinata stood with her back to the wall, hidden just around the corner from Ichiraku ramen, hopelessly listening in on a conversation between two of her friends.

Well, a friend and the love of her life, that is.

"I can't believe there's only three weeks left before the wedding!"

Hinata's breath caught in her throat—it was Sakura.

"I know, right? It's crazy how fast time has gone and everything that's happened, ya know?"

Naruto's vibrant voice caused the hidden Kunoichi's heart to clench painfully and she already felt the sting of tears pressing at the corners of her eyes.

"I know." Continued Sakura, brushing a few strands of pink hair behind her ear as she turned a bit in her seat. "We've all…been through so much; I…I almost wonder if this is really the right time to—"

But Naruto cut her off. "Hey. Don't Sakura." His expression turned serious as he laid a hand over hers, fingers curling around hers as he did so.

Hinata's eyes widened, catching Naruto's hand take hold of Sakura's and she bit back a sob.

"You deserve this more than anything right now, okay? We both do."

Sakura's face warmed at his kindness and she squeezed his hand back. "I just can't believe it's actually happening you know? I mean I never thought I'd—but here we are and I can't believe how incredibly happy I am, I mean…" Tears clouded her eyes but she smiled in spite of it.

Hinata couldn't bear it anymore and she stole away silently, her heart breaking steadily with each hurried step she took.

So. Sakura and Naruto…were…

Of course, as always happens, Hinata left just before the most important part of the conversation; namely, where Naruto grinned and asked with a smug smirk: "So is Sasuke nervous?"

Sakura let out a laugh. "Are you kidding me? Sasuke?!"

Naruto watched her expectantly, thinking she would affirm in the negative.

However, a smug smile touched the medic nin's lips just before sipping her tea. "He's _petrified."_

Naruto choked on his ramen, pounding his chest in an effort to force it down, before letting out a disbelieving laugh. "You're serious, aren't you. Shit, I never thought I'd see the day! The guy can charge head-long into a battle against a hundred men with nothing but his Katana, yet he's scared about getting married?!"

Sakura laughed good-naturedly. "I know, I know it's…I don't know I was kinda freaked out at first, you know? I thought it was because…he wasn't sure about…maybe…"

"That I wasn't sure about marrying you?"

Both ninja's jerked around in surprise to see Sasuke standing there, imposing and serious.

"Hey there, Mr. Haruno." Naruto teased, tossing his best friend a sly smile with a nudge of his shoulder.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but there was the faintest hint of mirth in his stoic expression. "Tch. I'm NOT 'Mr. Haruno' Idiot, I told you to stop calling me that."

"Aw com'on you're marryin' Sakura, yeah? So I mean techinically you're—"

Sasuke ignored him, merely sparing him a rough shove off his stool which landed Naruto flat on his back.

Ignoring his idiot friend's howls of protests, he turned his attention to Sakura.

 _His_ Sakura…

The woman who'd stood by his side through it all and in just three weeks' time, would become his wife.

"You seriously had doubts?"

Sakura ducked her head, embarrassed. "Not…not per se I just…I don't know, Sasuke, you're so secretive and serious all the time! I've known you all my life but there's a good part of that when you weren't even around and you did nothing but push me away…I can't always know what you're thinking, I—"

Without a word, Sasuke pulled her up from her seat and dragged her just around the corner away from the booth.

"Sa—Sasuke what are you—?"

Pressing her back against the fence, he cupped her face in his hands, his eyes flashing a hint of red as he stared at her with thinly-veiled intensity. "Then. Let me _show_ you."

And with that, he was crashing his mouth against hers, stealing the Kunoichi's breath away and turning her legs to jelly.

Her fingers crept up to his collar, gripping it weakly yet urgently as he slid his tongue along her bottom lip, eliciting a moan from her cherry lips and a quiver down her spine.

Sasuke smirked against her lips, loving how much power he had over her; the fact that he could affect her this strongly with just a kiss, was enough to make him feel like he'd just tasted victory for the first time in his life.

"Sa—sasuke!" Sakura gasped, pushing back from him with lips swollen and cheeks aflame.

"People—s-someone might see!" She hissed, smoothing out the wrinkles of her pink shirt, self-consciously.

"So? Let them see." He pressed another firm kiss to her lips before he pulled back and looked at her.

This time, his eyes were filled with a different kind of intensity—ardor.

"I want to marry you, Sakura. I've been an ass to you and I've done…things that—but that's beside the point. Whether or not I deserve you, I want you. I need you. And I am going to marry you, in three weeks."

The tears shown in her eyes as she smiled back at him, sweetly.

"Even if the thought of standing in front of the whole village dressed in a ridiculous, pompous robe, makes me want to stab myself."

She laughed at that. Sasuke hated being the center of attention; he was always a loner and to this day, preferred his privacy.

"Well I love you for being willing to wear a ridiculous, pompous robe…because I know you're only doing it for me."

"Well you could be merciful, for _me_ and just let me wear what I'm wearing now."

She glanced down at his typical attire, rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Uh…no. you're wearing the pompous robe, Mister. Deal with it."

His eyes narrowed at her in annoyance but a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You are _merciless."_

Naruto strode through the village streets, hands shoved in his pockets and a contented smile on his face. Evening had just fallen but the streets were still abuzz with activity as the civilians and shinobi alike were preparing for the festivities of the upcoming wedding.

He grinned to himself. After all this time, his two best friends were finally getting married. They'd been through unimaginable hell yet somehow, they'd forged their way through it all and found their way to each other's arms.

It had taken a lot on Sakura's part to finally reach Sasuke though; he was so stubborn and felt completely undeserving of her forgiveness, let alone her love.

But in the end, he'd finally realized that keeping her away, wasn't protecting her, it only hurt her more as well as himself and so the ex-avenger finally gave himself up to the only woman who had ever held his heart and the two were finally happy.

Catching sight of yamanaka Ino, Naruto smirked and hurried to assist the young woman with her load of lilies and cherry blossoms.

"Oh Naruto, thank god! I was just about to lose my grip on these, what a disaster that would've been!"

Naruto took several of the cherry blossom bows from her arms and kicked the door to the flower shop, open.

"Lemme guess, back order for the wedding?"

Dropping the bouquets of lilies on the counter, Ino faced forward and sagged against the counter with a heavy sigh. "I swear, Sakura's gonna put me in an early grave with all of this! I love her to death but she should've had the flowers picked out, ordered _and_ arranged two weeks ago! I told her a month in advance! No sonner, but no! No of course, she never listens!"

Naruto chuckled. "That's Sakura for ya, you know she just decided on a catering service, yesterday?"

Ino's eyes widened. "Oh my god, that woman. I don't even know."

Just then, the doorbell jingled, signaling the entrance of another customer.

Ino let out a groan. "Ughh…hold that thought, I'll be right back." With that, she exited the back room and headed to the front counter.

"Oh! Hinata! Hi, I was wondering if I was gonna see you today. The usual?"

"Yes, thank you, Ino."

The blond woman nodded, fetching a bunch of freshly cut lilies and wrapping them carefully.

"I—I had come by earlier but, I noticed the sign and well—"

"Oh I'm so sorry, Hinata, yes we've been insanely busy; these past few weeks have been crazy, with the wedding it's been even worse—"

"Yes of course, I—I can't only imagine." Hinata cast her eyes downwards, swallowing back the painful lump threatening to rise in her throat.

"I told her she should've had the flowers ordered and arranged five weeks ago, but noooo…she has to be difficult."

"I'm c-certain Sakura didn't mean to c-cause you stress, Ino-chan…S-she just wants everything to be perfect.

Catching the stutter in Hinata's voice, Ino cocked a brow at her; she hadn't stuttered in a long time so something was definitely up.

"Well yes…but still, she's cutting it too close for herself; I'm more concerned about her state of mind than mine."

"I'm sure N-Naruto-k—san will be able to put her at ease."

There it was again. And 'San'?! where the hell had that come from?

"Naruto-'san'? Since when are you so formal in regards to Naruto?"

Hinata's cheeks flushed a deep red and she once again averted her eyes. "I just—well I think it's only r-respectful."

Ino eyed her curiously. "Okay, if you say so."

After a moment of silence, Ino sighed with a hesitant, wistful smile. "I can't believe she's getting married. I can't believe _they_ are getting married."

"Hmm."

"I mean they've grown up together, sure but I just never thought they'd reach this point, ya know?"

"Uh, Ino-chan…if you don't mind, I'd really prefer n-not to discuss the wedding."

"Oh?"

"I-it's just—I am happy for them, truly. I just can't, I mean—"

Ino reached across the counter and squeezed her hand. "Hey, I understand the feeling but hey, you're still young, Hinata; you've got your whole life ahead of you!"

"Thank you, Ino-chan but—"

"Look, jealousy is a normal feeling, Hinata but we'll all get our chance, yeah? Don't worry about missing it, you won't!"

Unshed tears stung the Hyuuga's eyes. "P-Please, Ino-chan, I know you're j-just trying to help but I can't—"

"Besides, you're gorgeous, Hinata, there's no way you'll be single for long; in fact, I'm willing to bet you'll be the next of us girls to get swept off her feet, hm?"

"INO, PLEASE JUST STOP!"

Ino's eyes went wide at Hinata's unexpected outburst and she froze.

By this time, Naruto had ventured from the back—hearing Hinata's pained outburst had the young man standing in stunned silence, watching the two women and unable to speak a word.

"Hinata…I'm sorry I…I didn't mean, I was just trying to—"

"I know. I know but—can't you see how painful this is for me? Can't you at the very least just try to understand?! You know how I've felt, everyone has! Everyone but _him_ and now, they're getting married and I just—"

"Hinata…what are you—"

But the pale-eyed kunoichi shook her head. "No. I know it's selfish and believe me, I feel terrible but I just can't pretend all the time; I can't pretend I'm alright when I'm—m-my heart is—b-b-breaking every moment! I thought after the war, things would be different. I thought after Pain, it'd be different but I—I told him I loved him, I finally admitted it but he never—he never said anything after."

Ino's brows furrowed in confusion and lines of worry creased her forehead as she hurried around the counter and took Hinata's hands in hers.

"Hinata. I don't understand, what are you saying? You—you're telling me you, you confessed? To _him?"_

Hinata nodded wordlessly, tears pouring from her eyes and staining her porcelain cheeks.

"I'm…so confused."

Hinata smiled sadly, shaking her head as she brushed tears away furiously. "It doesn't matter now. It's—it's in the past and besides…they…they're getting married. And they're happy. I could never compete with that, nor would I want to."

She stared at the floor for a long moment, then raised her eyes to Ino, letting a true smile show through her tears, though her eyes were filled with pain. "I just…thought that things would be different; I thought that after Pain, maybe…maybe Naruto would understand that I really meant it when I said that I loved—"

"W-wait. _Naruto?_ Hinata…just who are we talking about here?"

Hinata stared and blinked at her owlishly. "N-Naruto o-of course."

Ino stared blankly, then shook her head. "So, wait. Wait. Have you been talking about _Naruto_ this _whole_ time?!"

Hinata bit her lip, nodding once.

Ino's brows furrowed and her pink lips pulled down into a concentrated frown. "Just who…exactly do you think is getting married in three weeks?"

Hinata gaped at Ino like she'd just thrown her an insult and with a slight indignant pout of her lips, she turned away from the blond woman. "Honestly Ino-chan, I don't know w-what kind of a fool you take me for; it's Naruto and Sakura's w-wedding in three weeks. I've known this."

Unbeknownst to Hinata, her blond friend's blue eyes had just widened to the size of saucers as she gaped at her back in utter disbelief.

"Oh. My. God." Ino gasped, grabbed the young woman roughly by the shoulders and reeled her around to face her.

"Hinata Hyuuga. You have got to be the most oblivious. Naïve. Stupidly gullible girl I have ever known."

Hinata let out a painful gasp as tears glistened in her eyes.

Ino sighed but there was a small smile on her lips; a smile compassion, bemusement and relief. "It's _not Sakura and Naruto's_ wedding, you idiot—It's Sakura and _Sasuke's."_

Opalescent orbs went wide and pink lips parted with a gasp.

"B-but—I-I h-heard—I mean I s-s-saw them just—it can't be a m-m-mistake!"

Hinata squeaked and for the first time noticed her hands shaking uncontrollably as the gripped Ino's forearms.

Ino shook her head. "No. No, sweetie you definitely did make a mistake. Naruto and Sakura are not getting married. Hell, they're not even together for cryin' out loud. Where on earth did you get such an idea?!"

It was then that Hinata—with great trepidation and embarrassment—relayed the tale of how she'd come upon Naruto and Sakura earlier that day. She explained the bits of conversation she'd heard and once her story was finished, Ino was barely containing an unlady-like snort.

"Ohhh, Honey! You shouldn't have…oh god, this is…this is hilarious but it's s-so terrible too!" Peals of laughter erupted from her then, much to the great disappointment of her ebony-haired friend.

"Ino-chan, please! Just t-tell me w-what—"

"Naruto is the Best man, you goose! Of course him and Sakura are gonna be meeting and having wedding conversations; he's helping her with the planning 'cause Kami knows, Sasuske detests such frivolousness and would rather die than be a part of it. No one knows Sasuske better than Naruto so Sakura will trusts Naruto's judgment, hands down."

But it seemed, Ino's explanation hadn't even reached the young Hyuuga heiress who stood frozen and staring wide-eyed right through her.

"Eh…Hinata? Sweetie, what is it?" She touched the girl's arm, at last rousing her from her sudden stupor and watched her face carefully.

Without meeting her eyes, Hinata spoke barely above a whisper. "So. Y-you mean to say that—t-t-that N-Naruto-kun isn't—he and Sakura aren't—"

Ino smiled warmly, shaking her head. "No, sweetheart. Naruto is _not_ getting married. Not to Sakura, not to _anyone."_

Finally, Hinata's eyes drew back into focus and she gazed back at Ino as 1, 2 then 3 tear drops dripped off the end of her full lashes, splashing onto her cheeks.

Little did the two women know that there had been a hyper-active blonde ninja still hanging around in the back room and when Hinata shrieked, he'd ventured forth from hiding and witnessed the entirety of their conversation.

Said ninja now stood in the doorway, dumbfounded and wide-eyed.

"Hi—Hinata-chan?"

His voice, though soft and hesitant, somehow shattered the delicate quietness of the room and both women's heads snapped towards him.

"O-Oh Naruto—I'm sorry, I completely forgot you were—"Her words failed her however and she turned anxious eyes to her female companion who was now gaping at the Hero of Konoha with wide, frightened eyes.

"Na—ruto."

Hinata was shaking all over.

Naruto stared at her, his feet moving on their own, carried him forward until he stood barely a foot away from her.

"You—you thought I was—g-getting married?"

Ino almost wanted to face-palm when she heard Naruto stutter; these two were impossible when it came to each other. Why couldn't they just swallow their shyness and idiocy and just fall in love?!

"I—I-d-don't—"

"You thought Sakura and I were—"

She shook her head frantically, not knowing what to say or what else to do; she could feel the familiar grip of panic choking the air from her lungs and she knew she had to make an escape and fast.

"I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have pried, I just—I-I hoped—excuse me." Whirling on her heel, she fled the shop with lilies in hand, mindless of the fact that she'd forgotten to pay.

"Oh my god. You two are hopeless!" Ino exclaimed.

Naruto didn't respond, his eyes never leaving the doorway where she'd fled.

"Poor thing…she's probably embarrassed beyond belief and terrified that you were here and overheard everything. Ugh! I can't believe I—"

"How much for the lilies?"

It was a blunt, out-of-the-blue question and Ino's eyes narrowed at him quizzically. "Uh, er well she ordered a dozen like always so fifteen; why?"

Slamming a ten and five dollar bill on the counter, Naruto didn't even spare Ino a glance or 'goodbye' before flashing out the front door and disappearing into the rain.

It always amazed Naruto how quickly a storm brewed over Konoha; one minute it could be clear blue skies and sunny, and then the next, ominous black thunder clouds would let lose a torrent that could last for hours or days on end.

It did little to deter his present determination however; being a little wet never seemed to bother the over-active ninja and he ignored the slippery concrete streets as well as the perilously slick rooftops, as he pushed forward at top speed, in search of a certain Hyuuga princess.

He knew she couldn't have gotten far—with barely a five-minute start on him, he should have no problem with overtaking her in no time at all; the problem wasn't speed but rather figuring out in which direction the young heiress had headed? He sensed her Chakra here and there but then it would disappear just as suddenly, leaving him disoriented and struggling to keep pace.

She must be concealing it on purpose, it was the only explanation to how easily she'd been able to elude him.

Naruto smirked to himself; that Hyuuga was a clever one; at times, more clever than Sakura and he wondered how it was that these particular skills of hers were never utilized to their fullest—she'd make a pretty damn good strategist. Not like Nara by any means but definitely comparable.

He was shaken from his thoughts by another slight spike in Chakra a few meters ahead.

There.

He had her now.

She was heading in the direction of the cemetery and just when her signature came to stop, Naruto slowed his pursuit and dropped to solid ground.

Nearing the cemetery, he took great care in minimizing his own signature so she couldn't immediately detect him before he intended to show himself.

He smirked again; it was almost like a game of hide and seek.

Hinata stood before Neji's gravestone, lilies in hand and drenched to the bone.

For a long moment, she closed her eyes and just stood there breathing in the storm and letting the tension ease from her neck and shoulders.

When she opened her eyes again, a sad smile touched her lips just before she knelt down and carefully placed the bouquet of lilies on the headstone. Softly clapping her hands together, she bowed her head and whispered a prayer for her dearest cousin before slowly standing to her feet.

"I know you're there."

Naruto stepped out from behind a tree and out of the shadows.

"You're as sharp as ever, Hinata-chan." He smiled.

Hinata didn't turn around and suppressed the urge to smile at his compliment. She hated how easy it was for him to compliment her—like it meant nothing at all.

"I really wish to be alone."

"I know."

"Then w-why did you follow me?"

He hesitated, wondering how he should proceed; then he clenched and unclenched his fists and decided to just go with his instinct.

"Because I couldn't leave you out in this storm alone, Hinata-chan. And because we need to talk."

Hinata's smile was borderline bitter in nature and it caused a chill up his spine.

"Do you really, Naruto? After all this time and countless opportunities—it's been two years since the war…even more, since Pain but you never seemed to want to talk then."

"There was a lot going on then, Hinata…" His eyes softened but there was a look of regret marking his features as he looked at her.

"It's not that didn't want to, I just didn't know how to talk about—I didn't know how to approach you."

"I'm so tired of excuses, Naruto!" This time, she shouted, though it still paled in comparison to the noise of the storm.

"What do I have to do? Just tell me what it is that you e-expect me to do because I-I really don't know anymore!"

He took a step forward, holding his hand out to her. "Hinata, please…just…just come out of the rain will you? You're gonna catch a cold if you stay out here dressed like that."

"No!"

He stopped, startling when she yelled at him yet again.

He'd never seen Hinata so angry that she'd raise her voice—even when she'd been upset in the past, it had never been directed at him…maybe Kiba or her sister or father but… _never_ in all her life had she been angry and shouted at _him._

"You are just t-trying to d-distract me. I'm not f-f-falling for it, Naruto, not this t-t-time."

Her stuttering was now the result of chattering teeth and Naruto face darkened into a frown; if she kept on like this any longer, she'd catch cold or worse…

Striding forward, Naruto set his jaw firm and looked her straight in the eyes. "Look. I really didn't want to do this but…damn it, Hina, you're giving me no choice." With that, he swept her off her feet and into his arms, bridal style and began the wet, arduous journey home.

She fought him at first.

But it was pointless—he was so much stronger than her and wouldn't relent to her pleas and so, it didn't last.

Eventually, Hinata resigned herself—albeit reluctantly—to being carried all the way back to the village square, with her arms looped loosely around Naruto's neck.

In any other situation, she would've been inwardly leaping for joy and in utter bliss; even now, it was difficult to keep her mind from wandering to how safe it felt to have his strong arms beneath her legs and supporting her back and how warm his body was as he pressed her snugly against his torso and chest…she could feel every muscle constrict and ripple at his every movement and her cheeks flushed a bright pink when the thought of seeing him shirtless, raced across her mind in a moment.

Dear gods, she was imagining Naruto half-naked and even daring to fantasize what it would be like to run her fingers over those sinfully strong, corded muscles; to feel them ripple and constrict beneath her ministrations—

"Here."

Naruto's deep voice mercifully broke into her thoughts but her cheeks merely deepened a darker shade of red when she noticed that he stood at the door of his apartment.

Just what on earth were they doing here? Shouldn't he have taken her home?

"N-Naruto…why are we—?"

He kicked the door open with one foot and ducked inside, being sure to kick it closed behind them.

The room was dark as Hinata listened to the sounds of Naruto shuffling around and eventually, she shifted in his hold.

"Please put me down, Naruto."

"Fine…but don't move; wait here until I get a light." Setting her down gently, he haphazardly shuffled further into the apartment, bumping into furniture here and there and even nocking something over on his way to the kitchen.

"Damn it." He cursed under his breath, feeling around for the cupboard that held the candles and matches.

Setting them down on the counter, he set about with lighting as many candles as he could; he'd tried the switch but it seemed power was out.

"Naruto?"

"Okay, I've got some candles…wait there and I'll bring one." Padding back towards the door, Naruto held the candle up until he spotted her standing near the door, shivering and dripping wet.

He stopped just in front of her and looked down at her for a moment.

Her clothes were positively soaked through and they clung to every inch of her curves, leaving very little to the imagination.

Naruto schooled his features and gulped.

"You look terrible. You're soaked through; I knew your little escapade in the rain wouldn't end well."

Hinata stayed silent and only looked back at him. Another shiver ripped through her tiny frame, not escaping his notice and he frowned, shaking his head.

"You're shivering, Hina. Here, take this candle and head straight ahead to the hallway; the bathroom's on your left. There are fresh towels, take off your clothes and hang them in the shower to dry. Oh, and take this." He handed her a fluffy rolled up blanket, along with the candle.

"T-take m-my clothes off?"

His expression was serious and impassive. "You won't get any dryer or warmer if you keep those wet things on and if you haven't caught a cold already, you definitely will if you keep those on."

Nodding wordlessly, Hinata took the blanket and candle and walked silently to the bathroom.

When she'd closed the door, she turned to the mirror and stared uncertainly at herself. Her hair was drenched, matted and stuck to her face and neck like a suffocating cloak of discomfort. Pulling her sopping wet white and lavender jacket over her head, she wrung it out as best she could and draped it over the shower curtain rod.

Next, she peeled off her fish netted under shirt, followed by her black pants which were if at all possible, more soaked through than the rest of her clothing.

Standing before the mirror in nothing but her bra and panties, she contemplated if she should really take them off. It was scandalous to think that she was already standing in Naruto's apartment in nothing but her underwear but to remove that as well? She gulped and shuddered at the horror.

"Hinata, be sure to take everything off, yeah? You need to let all of your clothes dry, including your undergarments."

Ugh. As if he could feel her indecision through the door. That infuriating Naruto.

Sighing dejectedly, she slowly stepped out of her wet things and laid them over the edge of the tub, dried off with one of the fluffy towels and then wrapped herself tightly in the soft orange blanket.

Orange. How typical.

"I'm putting on some tea." He called through the door.

After several agonizing minutes of debating whether or not she should stay safely locked away in the bathroom or go out, she finally settled on going out, knowing Naruto would only worry that something was wrong, if she stayed in the bathroom.

So, cracking the door open just enough, she snuffed out her candle and felt her way back towards the living room. She could hear Naruto moving around in the kitchen and the sounds of the stove clicking on and a tea kettle being set over the flame.

Settling on a low seat just by the window, Hinata pulled out a dry towel from inside the folds of her make-shift robe, and began to dry her hair. It was precarious trying to hold the blanket securely around her at the same time but she grit her teeth and fought with it. She had to get her hair as dry as possible and hopefully rid herself of the dreadful chill racking her body.

Just then, Naruto re-entered the living room with a candle in one hand and a steaming cup of tea in the other. When he saw Hinata huddled in a corner with her back to him and a towel in hand, attempting to dry her hair, he shook his head, letting a light smirk curve the corners of his mouth upwards.

Catching the sound of stoneware lightly hitting the coffee table, Hinata startled and turned her head.

What she saw had her shrieking in surprise and the blanket nearly slipping from her fingers. It slipped half-way down her shoulders but she caught it in the last minute, gasping.

Naruto stood in a pair of cotton pants that rode low on his hips, and a black yukata that was untied and completely open in the front. Needless to say, it left nothing to the imagination and Hinata was left to gaze at his fully exposed, lean muscled torso.

His chest was much broader and more defined than she'd thought it'd be; not that it was any surprise—he was one of the most powerful ninja of Konoha and he trained almost non-stop. But she'd never really seen his body anything less than fully clothed so she never had anything to base her imaginings off of.

She could detect the muscles in his shoulders as well, through the thin material of the yukata—and lets not even get started below the chest…

…Oh those abs…

A perfectly sculpted six-pack had Hinata's eyes rounding to the size of saucers and her face nearly bursting into flames.

"Eep!" Clutching the edge of the blanket, she pulled it back over shoulders as best she could and edged away from him as much as she could.

"Hinata? What are doin? Are you—you okay?" Setting the candle down on the table, he padded over to her but stopped when he caught the terrified deer-in-headlights look in her opalescent orbs.

Her cheeks were flushed but her hands held a deathly pallor and he could tell she was shivering, even from here.

"Hinata." Reaching out, he took her by the shoulders and pulled her out of the shadows and closer to the light.

"N-Naruto-kun p-please you d-d-don't have to—"

Catching the look in his eyes, her lips parted slightly and she averted her eyes, embarrassed.

Naruto touched the hand that was clutching the blanket and he hissed and drew his hand back.

"Your hands are ice, Hina!" He exclaimed worriedly, reaching for her again.

But this time, Hinata drew back from him, her eyes pinned to the floor and her lips drawn down in a timid frown. "I-I'm sorry—you don't need to worry about me, I'm f-fine Naruto-kun. B-but you—y-your—" Her eyes briefly snapped to his exposed chest and then away again as the heat in her cheeks intensified.

Moving towards the corner of the room, Naruto tugged her closer until she noticed for the first time, a small wood-burning stove nestled snuggly in the corner. There was a small stack of split wood beside it and throwing open the small door, Naruto stacked the wood, added some kindling and then briefly shifted to his Kyuubi form.

Hinata's eyes widened marginally as she observed him conjure a small ball of flaming Kyuubi chakra in his hand and shoot it into the stove. Flames burst to life and in no time at all a small, but powerful fire roared in the belly of the modest stove.

"Here." His deep voice broke her from her thoughts as he took hold of her free hand and pulled her towards the warmth of the fire. Tugging her down beside him, he made sure she was settled comfortably on the soft area rug before fetching her drying towel.

Catching her look of wonder, he smirked lightly and settled down beside her once again, towel in hand. "I got this little beauty last year." He nodded towards the wood burning stove. "My heating bill was kinda ridiculous last winter so I figured I'd much rather have to chop would every now and then to keep a fire stoked, than empty my savings every damn time."

Hinata couldn't help but smile at this; it was definitely a wise investment on his part and much more efficient when it came to just needing to heat a small space like his apartment.

"It's—it's lovely." She said softly, smiling at the warmth she could feel seeping into the room. However, she still felt chilled to the bone for some reason and another shiver ran down her spine. Her eyes widened when she suddenly felt hands on her shoulders, gently tugging her backwards and then the same hands combing through her wet hair.

"N-N-Naruto?"

Gathering her long hair into one hand, Naruto used the other to dry the dripping ends with the towel.

Hinata sat still as a statue, not daring to breathe as Naruto's hand smoothed down her hair as he worked to dry it. ,

"Y-you don't have to d-do that, really it's—"

Naruto shook his head with a smile. "I don't mind, Hina. Besides, I noticed you were havin' a real hard time earlier—I mean with—only your one hand and all."

He cleared his throat awkwardly, sudden shyness washing over him and dusting his cheek a slight red.

Hinata's hair was so long—it reached to her waist—and it was softer than silk as he ran his fingers through it.

It felt nice… _incredible_ actually and he found himself wishing he could run his fingers through it every day for the rest of his life.

Whoa.

He had to slow down.

Take a deep breath.

The heat in his cheeks had now begun to spread to his chest and further throughout his body until a painful ache of longing in the pit of his stomach had him biting back a moan.

His fingers accidentally brushed against her neck as he gathered her hair again and he bit his tounge; her skin was even softer than her hair—how the hell was that even possible?!

"Uh I—I t-think that's good—your hair I mean. It's not as damp as before so you should be good."

He stuttered and tripped over his words, cursing inwardly at his sudden awkwardness that was so uncharacteristic, especially around Hinata.

"Thank you…Naruto."

Scratching the back of his head, he nodded and smiled sheepishly, meeting her moon-shaded eyes.

His eyes drifted from her eyes down to her lips which were curved into a kind smile and he gasped.

"Hinata! Your lips…they're BLUE!"

Without thinking, he took her face in his hands and turned it from side to side, inspecting her mouth.

Her skin was a bit paler than usual too…not to mention she was still shivering every few minutes.

His eyes darkened and his brows pulled together in concern. This wasn't good. She should've been warmed up by now.

"You're really pale…and you're still shivering; you're still suffering from the cold, Hinata."

"I-I'm sorry I didn't want to bother you."

He shook his head. "You shouldn't worry about that, Hina; you're not bothering me, I'm here to take care of you."

She blushed at that, not meeting his eyes. "You really are too kind, Naruto-kun."

It was Naruto's turn to blush and a wide grin spread across his face as he clasped his hands behind his head. "Aw well shucks, Hinata I'm not all that, heh!"

"But you are…a-at least to me, you are." She spoke this barely above a whisper but he heard it and his eyes softened as he gazed down at her.

"Can I see your hands, Hina?"

Tucking the edge of the blanket under her chin to keep it in place, she hesitantly offered him her hands, blushing madly when he took them in his own.

A frown marred his handsome features and he looked up at her again. "Your hands are still ice. Listen, Hinata, I don't think this blanket and the fire are gonna cut it anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Now his cheeks flamed a bright red at what he was about to say but he bit his tongue and forced his expression to remain neutral. "You were exposed to the elements for too long, Hina; your body is shivering in an attempt to get your blood circulation but your blood is so sluggish from the chill that it can't properly circulate heat to the rest of your body. The—the only way to get you warm is to completely expose your body to encompassing heat and a type of heat that can evenly and effectively raise your core temperature to normal."

She blinked owlishly at him, her expression a blank mask for several minutes until something clicked in her head from the academy days.

Her cheeks burned red-hot and her opalescent orbs widened as her mouth fell open.

"It's Survival, 101, Hina you know that. I mean it's—it's the first—"

"—Lesson we learned at the academy. I know."

He waited—ignoring the burst of nervous excitement bubbling in the pit of his stomach, and instead, focused his attention on Hinata and her impending answer.

"Look I…I know this is unorthodox maybe—I mean we're not technically in a life-or-death situation but—"

"Okay."

His eyes snapped to hers. "Is that a 'yes'?"

She hesitated for only a moment before nodding firmly. "Yes. Let's do this. You're right, Naruto-kun; it's one of the most basic skills we learned in survivalist training. Besides…"

She clutched the blanket a little tighter, as if protecting herself from the inevitability of her impossible choices.

"…if I went to the hospital…my father would doubtlessly hear of it and if that were to h-happen…"

The dejected expression in her eyes caused his chest to clench painfully and he took her hand. "Hey. It's okay."

She carefully met his eyes, her cheeks tinging pink at his soft smile.

"Okay. So umm…uuhh…" He smirked sheepishly, averting his eyes as the embarrassment hit him for the first time; I mean he was basically telling Hinata—the beautiful and deadly Hyuuga Princess—to be naked with him.

Kami have mercy!

What in the hell was he thinking?!

Suddenly, his thoughts came screeching to a halt and his blue eyes went wide.

Hinata's back was to him and she had already let the blanket fall well past her shoulders.

It now hung dangerously at her waist and her movements suddenly stilled as she was most likely hesitant on how to proceed.

Naruto swallowed back the painful lump in his throat, his tongue felt dry as a cotton ball and no matter how many times he licked his lips, they still felt like sandpaper.

His eyes were locked onto Hinata's bare back—her skin was so perfectly flawless, even with the few faded scars he could detect by her shoulder blades—she was _perfect._

Her waist was petite and his eyes caught the beginnings of voluptuous hips, before the rest of her disappeared behind the veil of the blanket.

He couldn't deny it anymore.

He was aching to see more of her.

No, he was aching for _her,_ period.

All of her.

Running his hands through his hair, he blew out a breath and squared his shoulders. "Okay. Hinata I promise I won't look at you. But you need to give me the blanket."

A gasp.

"I need it so that I can use it to wrap around the both of us; that way we can keep the body heat between us, as effective as possible."

Hinata gulped. It was the point of no return—there was no going back now.

With one final exhale, she dropped the blanket from one hand and tossed it back towards Naruto's general direction.

Her arms immediately came up to wrap around herself, covering her ample bosom as best she could.

Holding the blanket up at one end, Naruto took a deep breath and moved closer.

"Ready?" His voice was so soft and gentle, it caused a shiver of delight to ripple down her spine.

She nodded, letting out a shaky breath.

She felt warmth at her back. "Trust me, Hina." He whispered.

His body pressed into her back as he brought his arms around her—wrapping the blanket around them at the same time.

When his hands reached her shoulders, he lightly prodded her with a gentle 'here, hold both the corners like this.' And carefully let the corners of the blanket fall into her grasp.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata pulled the blanket snuggly around them and held in a breath when she felt Naruto's arms carefully encircle her waist.

How thankful she was that he was careful to keep his hands from settling any higher or lower.

"You alright?" It was the first time he'd spoken in ten straight minutes and she nearly jumped at the sound.

"Y-yes…I-I'm fine."

Hesitantly settling his hands on either side of her waist, he waited another moment before asking, "Is this…okay?"

The heat of his large hands on her waist was overwhelming—but not in a bad way.

"Hmm." She nodded once, not trusting her voice at the moment.

"Okay…" With that, he carefully tugged her closer so her back was more firmly pressed against him and in response, Hinata pulled the blanket tighter around them.

"Just let me know if you're uncomfortable at all, okay?"

Surprisingly, the tension eased from Hinata's body momentarily, she leaned into him and let a smile grace her features. Even in the most awkward and discomfiting situation, he was still thinking of her first.

"Alright. Arigatou….Naruto-kun."

Her voice was so soothing, so sweet, he closed his eyes and leaned into her instinctively, letting his hands slip a little more securely around her waist.

She let out a light hiss, her hands gripping his, stilling his movements.

Naruto sensed her body tense and immediately drew back, letting go of her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Hinata, did I hurt you?"

Without thinking, she reached back and took hold of his hand. "No!"

Then taking a few calming breaths to steady her racing heart, she tried again.

"I mean—I _meant—_ it-it was fine."

He eyed the top of her head carefully, his mind focused on the feel of her slender fingers wrapped around his wrist.

"It—it actually—felt um, nice."

He gasped softly, lips parting when her fingers tightened on his wrist, pulling his arm back around her waist.

"It felt _really nice_ , Naruto-kun."

He gulped. "Oh O-okay." He slipped his hands around her waist again, secretly hoping to elicit another hiss from her like before.

He was not disappointed.

This time however, the sound she made was a little less than a hiss and more like a gasp of air, followed by a soft hum of pleasure.

Fascinated by her reaction, he let his hands slip a little lower, until they rested on her hips where he lightly caressed her skin with the pad of his thumbs.

This elicited an actual moan just before her body instinctively arched into his touch.

"Mmm N-Naruto….you…" She sighed his name, causing the blonde bite down on his lip and tug her a bit more firmly against him.

Another gasp and sigh that sounded almost painful but not in the literal sense of pain. He couldn't explain it but something in her voice and the noises she made, spoke to him…it spoke of the same heat and longing he felt in every inch of his body and he wanted nothing more than for her to make more noises like that.

"What is it, Hinata?"

She shook her head dazedly. "I-I don't k-know, I—I feel so—"

His hands squeezed her hips and in the next second, she came undone.

Her whole body shuddered and suddenly, she was turning in his arms, facing him.

His breath caught when his trembling fingers barely caught the edges of the falling blanket that she was no longer holding and his mouth once again went dry when he caught the look of desire flashing in her eyes.

"H-Hinata, I—"His words were cut off in a hiss when he felt tiny hands press fully against his bare chest.

Her skin was cool but somehow, it set his skin on fire and his hands tightened their grip on her, roughly tugging her against him.

Hinata's eyes went wide when she felt hot skin pressing against her body, flooding her with warmth.

"Hina." Naruto's husky voice reached her ears and she raised tentative eyes to look at him.

"If you—aren't okay with this. Then. You _need to tell me to stop. Right now."_

She only looked at him, watching the diverse emotions flashing across his face, one right after the other.

She saw shock.

Confusion.

Uncertainty.

Desire.

Longing.

And fear.

"Naruto-kun—"But before she'd even finished her sentence, her head was shaking 'no' indicating what her heart truly desired, beyond words.

She _didn't_ want him to stop.

Strong hands gripped her firmly as their owner bowed his head, capturing the Hyuuga princess' lips in a smoldering kiss.

It was clumsy and heated all at once, causing both man and woman to gasp and shudder as hands roamed feverishly and lips tasted shamelessly.

He explored her waist and hips and then the small of her back where his hands paused for a moment to revel the feeling of her softness. Then they traveled tantalizingly up her back where he took his time, caressing ever line, dip and curve until he reached her shoulders. One hand cupped her cheek, stroking her face lovingly, while the other held her close—fingers splayed between her shoulders blades.

"God, you're beautiful." He breathed, brushing his lips along her jawline and pausing to gently nip at her ear.

Hinata shivered from his hot breath tickling her ear and neck. She stretched on her tiptoes, snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

"Whoa—H-Hina…" The soft press of her supple bosom had his heart pounding furiously and the ache at his groin building twice over.

"Mmm, Naruto-kun…I can feel your heart beating with mine."

Her body arched into him as she said this, eliciting a strangled moan from Naruto and his eyes to roll to the back of his head.

He was gonna lose it if she kept this up!

"Hina—s-stop I can't—I c-can't control myself if you keep—doing that!" He grit out.

But the young heiress only giggled softly as she hoisted herself up and wrapped her legs aroun his waist, clinging to his shoulders for support.

"Then maybe—maybe you should take me to bed now."

Blue eyes flew open in shock at her boldness; was this really the same shy, timid Hinata he'd grown up with?

They couldn't be one and the same—the woman in his arms was so much stronger than the girl he knew—and the careless, passionate seductress was definitely a complete mystery to him! She'd hidden this side of her well.

Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he cradled her body and all but dashed for the bedroom, barely pausing to slam the door shut behind them.

Once they were sequestered away in the privacy of his bedroom, something in Naruto snapped and the last bits of uncertainty that may have lingered, were stripped away in a moment.

Shoving Hinata against the wall, he fisted her hair and drew her mouth down to his for another brutally heated kiss.

Hinata gasped at his sudden burst of passion but she didn't mind in the slightest; she didn't want him to treat her like a fragile, breakable doll—she wanted him to love her with all of his strength and hold nothing back.

Pulling her away from the wall, Naruto pulled out of the kiss, tossed her on the bed flat on her back and then crawled over her until both hands pinned her wrists on either side of her head and his face was inches from hers.

He was breathing heavily—almost panting and every now and then his eyes would flash gold for a few seconds before reverting back to their cerulean depths.

Hinata's chest heaved up and down as she stared back at him, unblinking.

She was in awe of him.

"I'm—sorry, I—I didn't mean to drop you like that." A bit of guilt seeped into his voice but Hinata would have none of it.

Cupping his face in her hands, she shook her head, smiling. "No, don't be. I'm not a doll, I won't break I promise; I like the way you handle me, Naruto." At this admission a bit of pink bled into her cheeks again and she snagged her lower lip between her teeth, biting back a provocative smirk.

He groaned, mesmerized by her mouth. "You better let me do _that."_ Catching her bottom lip with his teeth and gently nipped and then suckled hard, wanting her lips swollen and bruised from his thorough ministrations.

His hands held fast to her hips, probably causing fingerprint-like bruises but he couldn't bring himself to care; she _had_ given him permission after all.

Hinata's fingers tangled into Naruto's wild blond hair, tugging roughly as she met his bruising kiss with equal ferocity.

She could feel the soft friction of his cotton pants rubbing against her and though it was a delicious sensation, it only caused more torturous heat gathering in her nether regions.

"Na—Naruto…please. _Please!"_ Tiny fingers found the waist of his pants and pulled anxiously.

Naruto released her mouth to look in her eyes; they were blazing with hunger and need, desperate need to be fulfilled.

"Are you….are you _sure?_ I mean _really sure?"_

She nodded; she'd wanted nothing but this for so long, she could hardly believe that it was finally here; that it was finally happening to her.

"Hinata—you need to know that if—if this happens, I—"

A sliver of harsh reality set in and she stilled, looking away from him. "I—I understand, Naruto—I know that t-this d-d-doesn't mean I c-can have—that I have any r-right to you but—"

"Wait, _what?!"_

Opalescent eyes snapped back to his.

"Hinata, _no._ You don't get it; _I'm_ saying that that's _exactly what this will mean._ At least to me…I…I can't just do this with you, Hinata and then forget about it. I can't pretend like it never happened and I sure as hell won't be able to watch you with someone else and not wanna rip out his throat for even looking at you." His brows drew together in a dark scowl that had her quivering.

Meeting her eyes again, he stared at her for a long moment, taking in every inch of her face before speaking again.

"I just—can't do this and go back to the way things were. I—I don't think I even _want_ to. So. If we're gonna do this, you need to know that. It's only fair."

"Naruto…" Her eyes widened marginally as she stared in awe at the man she'd loved for almost all of her life.

"And if…if you c _an't handle that…._ then maybe we shouldn't." His eyes stared at some obscure spot on the sheet by her shoulder and she could tell he was nervous and fearful of her response.

"Naruto…does this mean that…that you don't want to see me with anyone else?"

He nodded, still avoiding her eyes.

"Does this mean that even if I were just—taking a walk in the village with Kiba-kun—just him and me—you'd be mad?"

His arms tightened around her when she'd mentioned Kiba and his 'calm' response was relatively forced. "Yeah. I wouldn't like it."

Her arms snaked around his neck and she coaxed him to look at her. "And. If Kiba-kun or even Shino touched me—or _held me?"_

A feral growl rumbled in his chest and he crushed Hinata to him, almost painfully.

"Stop it." He commanded huskily in her ear. "I don't want to hear about that anymore. About _them._ I don't care if they're your teammates and I sure as hell don't give a shit what your clan thinks or what your father thinks."

His eyes bored into hers and they were smoldering. "You're gonna be _mine,_ Hyuuga princess."

She gasped.

Dropping his lips to her neck he dragged hot, lingering kisses all the way to her collar bone. Then, he licked a trail down to the swell of her breast where he left a dark, permanent bite mark for good measure.

Hinata's body tingled with immeasurable pleasure as the tell-tale hot wetness pooled in between her legs.

Naruto picked up the scent of her intense desire and he smirked against her skin. "You won't be able to wake up in the morning without thinking of me. Know why? Because my scent—is gonna be _all. Over. You._ I'm gonna drench you in it, Hina…every. Last. Inch of you."

She mewled, clawing her nails up his back, willing him to take her.

"It's gonna be so consuming—every ninja within five feet of you is gonna smell it. And they're gonna know you're _off limits."_

Her back arched into him, her hips gyrating against his as she fought to satisfy the tightly-wound ache of her core.

Without another word, Naruto lifted his hips and shucked his pants in one fluid movement before settling himself upon her once again.

His manhood nestled in between her milky thighs, caused Hinata to let out a cry of delicious agony and he responded to her desperation by grinding his hips into hers.

"Aghh! Naruto _please! I c-can't t-t-take it anymore!"_ She gasped when he slid the tip of his shaft along her wet folds and her hips bucked furiously in response.

Placing his hand firmly on her abdomen, he forced her to still and looked deeply into her eyes.

"You know what this will mean. I've already warned you once, I can't promise I'll do so, twice."

Pushing up on her elbows, she gripped his neck with one hand and kissed him hard, forcing her tongue into his mouth to tangle sensuously with his.

It was all the answer he needed and pushing her back on the bed once more, he supported his weight on his forearms and looked in her eyes.

There was nothing but trust and love in those moonlit orbs and for the first time, Naruto felt himself fall helplessly head-over-heels in love.

"…Ready…" He whispered just a hair's breadth away from her delectable lips.

Her eyes connected with his one last time before drifting down to his mouth.

"….Yes…"

Dipping his head, Naruto captured her lips in a searing, passionate kiss that held all the love, passion, desire and fear he felt—and then in a quick, smooth movement, he thrust into her.

Hinata cried out in a mixture of pain and ecstasy.

Naruto groaned in utter euphoria and the two moved in careless yet-seemingly-perfect rhythm as they learned this erotic dance for the first time. Some movements were hesitated and clumsy, others were just plain messy and completely out of sync! But it didn't matter. To them, it was utter bliss feeling ever inch and curve of their bodies fitting together to perfectly with one another—it was almost too overwhelming to be true.

He wanted to kiss her but then in the next instant, he wanted to touch every inch of her all at once. It was insane but it was incredible and he reveled in it.

"Hina…oh Gods."

"Na—ruto!"

With one final thrust, his climax crashed over him in waves of overwhelming euphoria and his entire body shuddered and shook with the intensity.

Fixing his eyes on hers, he nearly lost it again when she came shortly after, writhing beneath him and mewling, moaning and crying out his name like a sacred mantra.

"Oh! Oh! Ahh!"

He loved the look on her face; the look of pure ecstasy as she bit her lower lip painfully, probably drawing blood.

He smoothed the strands of indigo ebony back from her sweaty face, bathing her heated brow with the coolness of his fingers.

"Hina. Hina."

Her eyelids fluttered opened—the dazed look of euphoric pleasure still radiating in those opalescent depths.

"I need you. Please, I can't be without you now. Not now, not when I feel this way."

She combed soothing fingers through tangled blonde locks. "I'm here…I'm here, Naruto-kun…right here." She pulled him into her arms, letting his head rest on her bosom as she continued combing her fingers through his hair.

Naruto's arms gripped her fiercely, as if he was afraid she'd disappear in the next instant if he let go.

"I need you. I need you, Hina, please." He pleaded, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he clung to this beautiful, soft, captivating woman in his arms.

"Naruto, don't worry, you don't have—"

" _I love you."_

Her fingers stilled and a gasp escaped her lips.

A blonde head raised and cerulean eyes pierced hers.

"Aishiteru."

Moon-shaded orbs widened. "Naruto-kun…"

"Hai, Aishiteru. I—I love you, Hinata."

Tears formed in her eyes, spilling over as the most radiant of smiles curved her lips upwards.

"I have _loved you…for all of my life, Naruto-kun!"_

With that, the widest, foxy grin broke out across the blonde ninja's face, an exclamation of pure joy escaping his lips. Bowing his head, he captured his lover's mouth in the most amorous, passionate kiss before rolling them over and once again, making heated, reckless and passionate love.


End file.
